


Treat You Better

by SimplyEssa



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: AAAA, Abusive Relationships, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff & Humour - Freeform, Getting Together, Hurt Keith (Voltron), Hurt/Comfort, Insecure Lance (Voltron), Keith (Voltron) needs to cry - Freeform, Lance (Voltron) Whump, Lance sings bb - Freeform, Let!!Him!!CRy!!, Lotor (voltron) is a huge jackass and deserves death even tho i lvoe hm, Lotor's angels are his generals, M/M, Mild Angst, Mutual Pining, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Lance (Voltron), Pre-Established Keitor - Freeform, Protective Lance (Voltron), Seemingly unrequited love, Song fic, Unrequited Keitor - Freeform, Whump, but its not
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-23
Updated: 2017-11-23
Packaged: 2019-01-21 23:53:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12468804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SimplyEssa/pseuds/SimplyEssa
Summary: Lance is a pining mess.





	Treat You Better

**Author's Note:**

> this was in y archive drafts for a month now and i decided "hell yes lets get no slEEP AND FINISH THIS!"  
> help me or kill me  
> either works

“You’re listening to Voltron 101.2, up next, Treat You Better by Shawn Mendes!”

Lance holds his pillow tighter, turning down the volume on his phone, where the song is currently coming from. He lets it soothe him into a half awake, half asleep state where he gets lost in his thoughts and feelings about Keith, once again.

_I won't lie to you_

The first day he met Keith, he had mocked him.

Keith had responded with a vague ' _What's wrong with my hair?'_

Before Lance had the chance to answer, to apologize for the hurt look he got as Keith pulled on the tips of his hair, he was called to Shiro's office.

_I know he's just not right for you_

The second day, he tried to apologize.

But Keith had said ' _he didn't care'_ and  _'I have work to do, please leave me alone.'_

Lance was frowning for the rest of the day.

_And you can tell me if I’m off, but I see it on your face_

The third day, Lance came up to him before they both had work.

He apologized profusely, insides twisting when he saw that gorgeous face twist into a small grin.

His insides also twisted when he noticed the careless concealer covering the left side of his jaw.

_When you say that he’s the one that you want_

In the first month, Lance felt like he knew Keith for years.

He enjoyed hanging out with him, enjoyed movie nights more when he was there.

They made good friends.

_And you’re spending all your time in this wrong situation_

A month and a half had passed, and Lance noticed the makeup again.

The first time, he assumed that it was an embarrassing act to gain a bruise of some sort; Tripping down the stairs and falling on his chin, falling off of the bed.

But this time, the concealer was on his wrists.

_In this wrong situation, and anytime you want it to stop_

The second month, it happened again.

He had concealer covering his entire left wrist, a small spot on his neck. He had a small cut at the edge of his eyebrow, thin but noticeable if you spend enough time watching him.

Lance pretended he didn’t notice.

_I know I can treat you better_

The third month in, the concealer wasn’t even the right shade.

Sure, to any stranger walking down the street, it could look normal, but to close friends- close friends who know a lot about makeup- it’s obvious.

Lance asked him about it. Keith said he bumped into the fridge.

Lance didn’t believe him.

_Than he can_

Three months and a half, and Lance asks Keith out on a date.

Keith politely declines, telling him he already has a boyfriend, cheeks dusted pink.

Lance feels his stomach drop, his brain calling him out on how stupid he was-

But then-

_And any boy like you deserves a_

He meets his boyfriend, the next day.

And that sick fuck- he’s got an arm wrapped tightly, too tight, around Keith’s waist, smiling kindly at them, save for Lance, as he brings Keith to work the next day.

He whispers something Lance can’t hear into Keith’s ear, and gets back into the car with a wave.

Keith is paler than he was before, makeup standing out against his sheet-white skin, but acts as if nothing is wrong.

Well, except for the tiny little fact that his wrist is fractured.

_Gentleman_

Keith is abused.

He learns that four months in.

He’d been sitting beside Keith at one of their weekly movie nights, one that Keith hardly attends, and they’re both drunk- Not ‘I’m-gonna-tell-everyone-my-secrets!’ drunk, more like a giggly state where they laugh uncontrollably, for no reason whatsoever.

They’re cuddling, Keith making an amazing little spoon as they watch The Breakfast Club, it was a vote, Lance’s side lost, and he notices a hand shaped bruise around Keith’s neck, makeup smeared across it carelessly. 

Then he notices Keith, who’s on his phone, texting Lotor about his plans for the night, then Lotor’s response-

_Tell me why are we wasting time_

’ _Get the fuck back here, you selfish asshat.’_

_On all your wasted crying_

He feels Keith tense in his arms.

Then Keith gets up abruptly, face set in a scowl as he grabs his things, announcing that he’s going home.

Lance offers him a ride- because Hunk was his ride and Hunk is passed out on one of the many couches, Lance is considerably less drunk than Keith, and he still has a fractured wrist, not because of his still lingering feelings- and Keith accepts.

_When you should be with me instead_

When Lance drops him off at a duplex near the outskirts of town, he waits a little longer than necessary.

He cracks open the passenger window, and listens-

Keith screams.

_I know I can treat you better_

He’s opening the car door.

_Better than he can!_

He has his phone out, the call app open and prepared to dial 911.

_I’d stop time for you_

The second he opens the unlocked door, he feels like time froze.

_The second you say you’d like me to_

Keith is pressed against a table, digging into the soft flesh of his lower back.

_I just wanna give you the loving that you’re missing_

Lotor is holding him there, a knife lightly trailing the tears that are sliding down his perfect, pale cheeks.

_Baby, just to wake up with you_

Lotor doesn’t notice him, too busy scaring the everliving shit out of the poor boy in front of him, grinning maliciously as he breaks skin, drawing blood.

_Would be everything I need and this could be so different_

Keith notices him. He presses his lips into a thin line, eyes slight with a determined fire even though his arms are pinned against his back and there’s a knife on his cheek.

_Tell me what you want to do_

He nods his head, ever so slowly.

‘ _Cause I know I can treat you better_

Lance calls the cops.

_Than he can_

He doesn’t say anything when they answer, just places his phone on the floor, praying to every God he’s ever heard of that they won’t hang up.

_And any boy like you deserves a_

He lunges at Lotor.

_Gentleman_

Lotor jumps, unprepared for Lance, as he drops his knife, freeing Keith from his hold as he tries to fight Lance back-

_Tell me why are we wasting time_

But Lotor can’t, not when Lance is completely and utterly furious, running high off of adrenaline.

_On all your wasted crying_

He vaguely thinks he can hear Keith talking to the cops in the background, voice shaky from the crying.

_When you should be with me instead_

By the time someone pulls him off Lotor, he’s landed three punches to that delicate, probably broken, jaw.

_I know I can treat you better_

When he tries to go back at him, lips pulled back to reveal a snarl, there are pale hands gripping his wrists and pulling him away.

_Better than he can!_

Those hands are cupping his cheeks, telling him to ‘ _Calm down, he’s unconscious, I’m fine._ ’

_Give me a sign_

Lance looks up, then, meeting mostly-dry Violet eyes that are staring into his.

_Take my hand_

Keith smiles, shakily, as he grabs Lance’s hand and pulls him out of the house, outside to where a paramedic is waiting.

_We’ll be fine_

Lance finally notices that the police have arrived, swarming the house and dragging Lotor’s limp body out of it.

_Promise I won’t let you down_

He’s tending himself to fight again, even the sight of that disgusting man making him burn with anger, but Keith is there again, shaking off a paramedic and trying to calm him down.

_Just know that you don’t_

Lance calms, if only a little, following Keith back to where he was sitting and waiting patiently as the paramedic patched up Keith’s cheek and wrist.

_Have to do this alone_

The police comes to Keith just as he’s about to say something, and by the looks of it- it was something important.

_Promise I’ll never let you down_

Then the cops are questioning him on why he was attacking their suspect, his relations to Keith and Lotor, and he explains all of it.

‘ _Cause I know I can treat you better_

All of it.

_Than he can_

And then he’s driving away with Keith, offering him a place to stay until this whole mess is sorted out.

_And any boy like you deserves a_

Keith accepts.

_Gentleman_

When they get there, Lance realizes Keith had found the time to grab a bag of his belongings, so Lance grabs it for him.

_Tell me why are we wasting time_

He tells him they can grab his motorcycle tomorrow.

_On all your wasted crying_

He offers Keith the bed, tells him he’ll sleep on the couch. Keith doesn’t answer, just asks where the bathroom is.

Lance tells him where, points him to the door.

When he comes back out, clad in flannel red pyjama pants and a black shirt, he looks like he’s about to cry.

_When you should be with me instead_

And he does.

_I know I can treat you better_

He cries, stumbling into Lance’s offered hug.

_Better than he can!_

They fall asleep on the couch together.

_Better than he can!_

The next day, they go on a day.

_Better than he can!_

The next week, they kiss.

_Better than he can!_

A year in, and Keith has officially moved in with Lance.

_Better than he can_

That was one year and five months ago.

”Babe?” Keith asks, opening the door. “You good?”

Lance turns around, turning off his phone’s radio and plugging it in. He takes in the gorgeous specimen before him, hair mussed up from the day and dark bags under his bright, violet eyes.

This is his.

He loves it.

”I’m perfect.”

**Author's Note:**

> *whipes sweat off forehead*  
> WELL  
> THAT WAS QUITE A RIDE  
> I FINISHED THIS IN TWO HOURS PLEASE KILL ME I NEED TO SLEEP BUT I NEED TO DO HOMEWORK AND PLAY FUCKING ANIMAL CROSSING IM SUCH A NERD  
> i actually hoped you liked that— it’s a new layout for me. normally my works are much longer and no little breaks like that with lyrics  
> feedback is greatly appreciated, as well as constructive criticism!!


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